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S E R

O N

Preached before the Right Honourable the

Lords Spiritual and Temporal in
Parliament aflembled.

In the Abbe y-Church, TFeJiminJier^

On Monday, Jan. 30, 1748-9;

Being the Day appointed to be obferved as the Day
of the Martyrdom of King CHA RLES I.

By ZA CHAR r, Lord Bifhop of Bam-or,

LONDON:

Printed by and for J. Wat t s ; and Sold by him at the Printing
Office in PTild-Court near Lincoln' s-Inn-Fidds:
And by B. D o d, at the Bible and Key in Ave- Mary- Lane,
near Stationers-Hall.

MDCCXLLX.

?^3Z

Die Martis 31 Janmrii^ 1748-9.

ORdered by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal,
in Parliament affembled. That the Thanks of
this Houfe be, and they are hereby given, to the Lord
Bifhop of Bangor^ for the Sermon by him Preached
before this Houfe Yefterday in the Abbey-Church,
TFeJlminJfer ; and he is hereby defir'd to caufe the fame
to be printed and publiflied.

Ashley Cowper,
Cler, Parliamentor,

ACTS xxiii. 5.

Then f aid Paul, I wijl nofy Brethren^ thai he was
the High-Prieji ; for it is written^ Thou palt
not /peak evil of the Ruler of thy People.

IN the laft Journey, which St. Paid made to .
yerufalem^ he had a full Proof of what the
Holy Ghofl had witneffed concerning him,
that Bonds and AjfliEiio72s were every where to beAasxx. 25.
his Portion : For, being arrived at that City, he
went up to the Temple during leven Days, upon
the laft of which, fome Jews of Afia (who
probably had known him in that Country) ftirred
up all the People, which were prefent, to lay
their hands upon him. The Outcry againft him
was this, that his Preaching every where was
againft the Law, and that holy Place: and to/3, xxi. 23.
help out the Charge they added, that he had
brought Heathens along with him into the Tem-
ple, and had thereby polluted that Court, which
was appropriated to tbofeof the Circumcifton only.
The Accufation was falfe in Fadt; but a Multi-
tude is apt eaftly to believe, and eafily to be in-
flamed : An uproar therefore was made, and the
Apoftle was feized, and drag'd out of the Tem-
ple by the enraged Zealots, with intent to make

A 2 his

A Sermon preached before the

Ills Life a Sacrifice to their Fury. But the chief
Captain (who was the fuperior Roman Officer
there) came in with his band of Soldiers time
enough to St. Paid\ affiftance ; and having taken
him out of the hands of thofe mifchievous JewSy
he fecur'd him in the Caftle oi AfiWtia^ a Place
by its Height over-looking the Temple, and by
its Communication having the entire Command
of it. Thus he had refcued him from the mur-
derous Rabble, but his Intention was not to re-
scue him from Juftice : and therefore on the mor^
row he comma?ided the Chief-Priejis d^ all their
Couficil to appear^ and he brought Paul down
from theCaflle, andfet him before them. Chap^
xxii. 30.

Here then was a National Court of the Jews
affembled, and theApoftlewas placed before them
at the Bar : Where when he had begun to make an
Apology for himfelf, faying, Men and Brethren^
I have lived in all good Confcience before God^ until
this Day ^ xxiii. i. TheHigh-Priefl:y^/^^;^w, who
fat there as his Judge, co?nmanded them^ that flood
by himy to finite him on the Mouthy ver. 2. But
what could be more Partial, than fuch a Beha-
viour in the Judge, who check'd St. Paul fo very
roughly in the entrance upon his Speech? efpe-
cially as it was his Innocency only, which the
Apoftle had afferted : And what hope was there
of Juftice from Him, who not only ftop*d him
fo foon, but commanded others to ufe fuch an

Ad

Hoiife of Lords^ Jan. 30, 1748-9.

AA of Violence ? It was upon tills Occafioni
that the Apoftle broke out into the following
Expreffions, God fmll finite thee^ thou n.vhitcdJFalli
for fittefl thou to judge me after the Law^ aiid
com??2a7ideJl me to be fnitten €0?7tra7y to the
Law? ver. 3.

This Language was very extraordinary, con-
fidering not only fro77t whom it came, but to
whom it was dircded: Thofe therefore, who
flood by, faid, Revilejl thou God's High-Priefl f
ver. 4. To which Reprimand St. Paul anfwer'd,
as in the Text, / wifl not^ Brethren^ that he
'Was the High-Prieft\ for it is writte?!^ Thou pah
not f peak evil of the Ruler of thy People.

To account for thefe Words of the Apoflle,
feveral ways have been attempted.

Some fuppofe him ftridly to mean, that he
did not know it to be the High-Prieft, who gave
the Order for f?niting him. They imagine, that
there was fuch a Crowd and ConRifion at the
Trial, that he might eafily miflake the Speaker,
and think that it was fome private Perfon in the
Aflembly. But St. Paul's own Words confute
this Suppofition : for he faid, Sittejl thou to judge
me after the Lawy and C07nma?idejl me to he fnit-
ten contrary to the Law f To the Judge he di-
reded his Reply, and therefore from the Judge
he well knew the Injury to have proceeded.

Others fuppofe, that Ana?iias had procur'd x\\\%
Office by Bribery J and that therefore St. Paul

meant J.

y^ S E R M o N preachcd before the

meant, that he did not k7ioWy i. e, acknowledge
him to be the High-Prieft. But to this, among
(aj many other Things, it may be reply'd, that,
the ycwiflo Council then adiing in Concert with
Ana?iias as their High-Prieft, it is not likely,
that a Prifoner at the Bar would venture to
make this Objedion there. Befides, St. Paul
feems to have achiowledg d him for fuch but the
Day before, (as we are told in Chap. xxii. 5.)
where fpeaking, I think, of this very Ananias^ he
faid, The High-P?'ieJ} alfo doth bear me witnefs^
a?id all the State of the Elder Sy from whom I re-*
ceived letters unto the Brethren^ Sec.

I prefer therefore a third Opinion, which gives
a morejuftifiableSenfe to the Words : for y>c wJ^«t/,
which is here tranflated I lui/? not^ i. e. / did
7Wt knowy may be tranflated, / had not confderd^
I had not atte?7ded to it, or carry d it in my Mind,
Thus in Ecclef v. i . what the Greek Verfion of
the Seventy, agreeably to the Original Hebrew,
has render'd by on b';c imv uS'dreg, &c. is well
tranflated in our Englifh Bible, for they confder
not^ that they do .Evil : and thus St. Paul was
ufed to fpeak, as appears from (bj feveral PafTages
in his Writings, particularly from i ThefT. v. i 2.
IVe befeechyouy Brethren^ (tS iiHvcf.^ to know them^

(a) If St. Paul had meant, that he did not acknowledge Ananias to be
the High-Prieft, it is probable, that St. Luke would not have reprefented
him, as faying, ^k ^{J'hv I had not acknevjledged, but ^k hJ'i.eo or ^a "oiJ'a,
I do not acknowledge, SiC.

(b) See I Cor ii. 2. and Chap, xvi, 15, 18. See alfo John xx. q. .

which

Houfe of Lords^ Jan. 30, 1748-g,

niohich labour among you \ 1. e. to confider, regard,
and be mindful of fuch Teachers.

The fame Thing St. Paul may be fuppos'd to
mean by the fame Word in the Text. He ac-
knowledged, that thofe Words of his, God pall
fmite theey thou whited Wall^ had proceeded from
too much Haftinefs and Impatience of Temper;
that under too quick a Senfe of the Injury, which
he had received, he had made that improper and
indecent Reply. He had not fufficiently confider* d
at that time, that it was a Magiftrate to whom
he fpake ; he had aded contrary to what the Law
of Mofes direded, when it faid in Exod. xxii. 2 8.
Thou Jhah not revile the Gods (i. e. the Judges),
nor curfe the Ruler of thy People. The Magiftrates
in general, whatever their Office or Title might
be, whether Ecclefiaftical or Civil, were guarded
by this Law againfl: the Licentioufnefs of evil
Tongues: And therefore St. Paul very rightly
quoted it by way of a free and open acknowledg-
ment to Ananias^ that he had taken a Liberty
which was unbecoming, and had ad:ed inccnfif-
tently with the Duty, which he owed to him as
a Magiftrate.

This feems to be the plain and cafy fenfe of the
Words of the Text, and the Obfervations, which
I fhall make upon it, fhall be thefe two.

[ I ] How natural it is for the beft of Men, when
treated injurioufly by their Magiftrates, to fl:iew
their Refentments, and exprefs with fome Free-
dom

A Sermon preached before the

dom their quick Senfe of the Injuries which they
feel.

[2] That Men of this Characfler, knowing what
Laws and Obhgations they are under towards their
Magiftrates, are always ready to ftop fhort, before
Paflion carries them too far; and, tho' they may
fuifer Injuries, they will never lofe the Sight of
their Duty. And, under each of thefe Heads of
Difcourfe, I fhall apply, what (hall be faid, to the
Occafion of affembling ourfelves here on this fo-
lemn Day of Humiliation.

[i] Then, it may be obferved from hence, how
natural it is for the beft of Men, when treated in-
jurioufly by their Magiftrates, to fhew their Re-
fentments, and exprefs with fome Freedom their
quick Senfe of the Injuries which they feel.

You fee, that it was the Gafe of St. Paid him-
felf: As patient as his Sufferings for the Goipel
had made him in the general, yet they left him
ftill in poffefFion of his natural Paffions, however
greatly fubdued. He did not ceafe to be a Man-^
by becoming an Apojlle. In truth, our Paffions
were given to us, that they might encourage and
lead us to the Duty of Self-prefervation : and,
when Injuftice is done, it is as little relifli'd from
the Hand of a Governor as of an Equal. Nay, in
the former Cafe it is apt to be in fome Views of it
more fretting and painful, becaufe it comes with-
out any immediate prolped: of a Remedy: and
with this Aggravation to embitter it, that it comes

from

Houfe of Lords^ Jan. 30, 1748-g. 9

from that Hand, which fhould not only itsfelf
forbear, but fhould reftrain all others from the
Violence.

Thus (in the Inftance, to which my Text re-
lates) the High-Prieft, when preiiding over the
Jewifh Council at St. Paul's Trial, fliould have
taken care, that the Trial and Judgment proceed-
ed according to the Law. But, when, before any
thing was proved againft the Prifoner, he com-
manded him to be f mitten^ the Injury was vifible,
and the Provocation fo great, that it carry'd the
Apoftle to exprefs his S^\\{e: of it, not only in
Words of Warmth, but of Reproach.

In this (it is true) he did not copy after his di-
vine Mafter, who, when he was reviledy reviled
not again. Nor did he fuit himfelf then to what i Pet. ii. 23.
he had taught his Roman Converts, when he faid
Chap. xii. ver. 14. Blefs them which perfecute yoii^
and curfe not\ or to what had been his own ufual
Behaviour, as he defcribed it in i Cor. Chap. iv.
ver. 12, 13. Being reviled we blefs ^ being perfe-
cuted wefuffer it : For St. Patd (tho' a moft ex-
cellent Chriftian) was yet not exempt from all
human Frailty, was not without fpot and blemifh
in his Condud:, as his great Mafter was: He re-
tiirn'd the Injury therefore, as far as Words could
do it.

And much lefs can it be expeded, that a Peo-
ple (for if you look round the whole World, you
will ne^^er find one Country, in which the Gene-

B rality

,Q y^SERMON preached before the

ralitv of its Inhabitants are either Saints or Philo-
fophers,) I fay therefore, that it can much lefs be
expeded, that the Paflions of a People fhould not
be raifed, when they are f mitt en contrary to the
Law by thofe, whole Office it is Xo fit and judge
them after the Law,

This^ in juftice to Truth, we muft own to
have been the Cafe in the beginning of thofe
unhappy times, which uflier'd in that unnatural
Rebellion, and led the way to the moft wicked
and deteftable Murder of the King, for which we
have been this Day deprecating the divine Ven-

geance.

It was his great Misfortune, that in the firfl:
Parliaments, which he called, the Reprefentatives
of the People were fo attentive to Enquiries
and Complaints about Grievances only, that they
refufed or negledled to make any Provifion for
the Wants of either the State, or their Sovereign
and his Family. And, as they had failed in that
part of their Duty, they laid him not only under
a Neceffity of doing all that he could for his relief
by virtue of the Law ; but under a ftrong Temp-
tation of doing all that he was fuppos'd to be im-
povver'd to do by virtue of his Prerogative; the
Boundaries of which at that time had never been
well fettled. Hence it was, that for remedy of
this great and preffing Evil, under which both
the Publick and Himfelf laboured, fome Monies
were rais'd upon the Subjefts, for his yearly Sup-

Pl73

Houfe of Lords y Jan. 30, 2748-9. 11

ply, without Authority of Parhament, tho' for
the mod part in imitation of what had been with-
out any pubhck Cenfure often pradifed on the
like Occafions. Hence fome obfolete Laws were
reviv'd, lucrative to the Prince, but burdenfome
to the People, and therefore the more burdenfome
to the People, becaufc the Weight of them for fo
long a time had not been felt. Hence fome Ads
of State were made ufe of to fupply the Defed: of
Laws; which Ads, however unwarrantable, had
many Precedents in former Reigns, fufficient, tho*
not to juftify them, yet at leaft to keep them in
countenance.

If any Man fhould affirm, that in fome of the
firft Years of his Reign no wrong Steps were taken
by the King towards his Subjeds at large, and to-
wards their Reprefentatives in Parliament, either
thro' the ill Advice unhappily giv^en by thofe who
were his well-intention'd Servants, or thro' the
worfe Advice inlidioufly given by thofe who were
his fecret Enemies, he muft fpeak a Language
very different from that of the noble Hiftorian,
who beft knew, and has beft reprefented the
Tranfadions of thofe Times; and who leems (if
ev^er any did) to have carry 'd in view throughout
his whole Work the Duty in an Hiftorian, of
having the Honefly to fay ?ioth'mg that he knew
to be Falfe, and the Courage to fay every thing
that he knew to be True.

B 2 The

12

A Sermon preached before the

The Behaviour of the King therefore in fuch
Inftances, as have been mention'd, was grievous,
finceby thofe Methods of Proceeding, the Liberty
of the Subjeds in fome Cafes, and their Property
in others, was render'd more uncertain. It has
been obferv'd indeed, that as high Inftances of
Power and Sovereignty, upon both the Liberty
and Property of the Subjed, are to be found in
fome of the former Reigns, even in the beft of
them: But then two Circumftances, which be-
longed to thofe in the Times of which I am
fpeaking, fhewed the great Unskilful nefs of fuch
as without diftinguifliing aright, had recourfe to
thofe Precedents. The Manner, in which thofe
Ads of the Prerogative were exercifed in this
Reign, was often ungracious and difobHging ; the
Neceffity of them being not fo well known, as
the Severity of them was felt, and the Paffion of
the Judges in their Decifions, fitting heavier fome-
times upon the Sufferer than the Weight of the
Judgment. To this we may add, as what is
flill more material, that the Times were not the
fame as in thofe former Reigns ; the Subjects were
not now difpos'd to bear even the Sight of fuch
Ufage in Others, which their Anceftors, when
they Themfelves were loaded v/ith it, fat down
under v/ith Patience. By the great Extent of the
national Commerce, and by the great Increafe
of the Richesj which flowed in thro' that Channel,

the

Houfe of Lords ^ Jan. 30, 1748-9. 13

the Commons were grown a more robuft, and
(if I may fb fpeak) a more vital Part of the Poli-
tical Body ; and, as their Property was greatly
enlarg'd, fo were their Notions and their Love of
Liberty : it being natural for Men, the more
they poffefs, the more to endeavour at the feciir-
ing themfelves undifturbed in the Pofleflion of it.

How then could it be expected, that fuch
Men, fo treated, would not murmur and com-
plain ? or that their Reprefentatives would not
by Petition, Remonftrance, and every other Legal
way try to eafe the People from a Yoke, to
w^hich their Necks had never been well fitted,
and with which (as things then flood with them)
they could not but be more fenfibly galled? So
far all Oppofition was commendable, as it was
their Duty ; and fome of their future Steps in
Parliament would have been excufable, if they
had known where to defift ; the Subjed having
as Natural, and, in this Nation, as Legal a Right
to the fecuring of his Liberty and Property, as
the Sovereign has to the preferving of his Dignity
and Prerogative.

What 1 chiefly mean on this head, is, that
Princes can never reafonably hope, that, if their
Subjects are injur'd, they will not complain and
be reftlefs, till the Caufes of their Complaints
are remov'd. A quick Senfe of Injuries is founded
in human Nature. St. Paid himfelf was not
free from it, and it is no wonder if Men lefs

perfed-5

iji ^Sermon preached before the

perfed, than He, open their M laths in Com-
plaints,' whenever they receive any ill Treatment
from the Magiftrate.

[2] Let it be obferved farther, that Men of St.
Pauh Charader, and fuch as know, v/hat Laws
and Obligations they are under to'.vards their
Governors, are always ready to flop fhort, be-
fore Paffion carries them too far, and, tho' they
may fuifer Injuries, they will never lofe the fight
of their Duty.

You have in this too St. Patd\ Example :
and furely, if Men can think to excufe themfelves
by one lefs warrantable Part of his Behaviour,
they ought to learn from the other more laudable
Parts of it. / wtji not^ (faid the Apoftle) that he
was the High-Prieji ; for it is written^ Thou Jhalt
not /peak evil of the Ruler of thy People, Provoked
as he was, and juftly provoked, he did not infift
upon it, as a Right, to do what he had done.
He did not juftify, but retrad it ; and by quoting
what he did, he made an open and ingenuous
Acknowledgement, both that he had committed
a Fault, and that the Law was the Rule of his
Obedience to the Magiftrate.

If thofe, for whofe fhocking Crimes we are
this Day humbling ourfelves before God, had
copy'd from this Part of the Apoftle's Behaviour,
and had calfd to their Mind a Senfe of the Laws
of their Country, which were the Meafure of
their Duty, they would never have gone fuch

fatal

Houfe of Lords, Jan. 30, 1745-9- ^5

fatal Lengths, as they did, till their ill Humours,
which at firft fliew'd themfelves by Petitions and
Remonftrances only, fwell'd into feditious At-
tempts; and at laft broke out into the fouleft
Rebellion; till their Ordinances of Parliament
became heavier Burdens even to the People, than
any Ads of State had ever been, (for if thefe
were Whips, thofe were Scorpions, without Co-
lour illegal, and without Meafure oppreffive); till
by Violence they forc'd from their juft Share in
the Legiflature two out of the three Eftates of the
Realm ; till they overthrew, and try'd to dig up
the very Foundations of the Epifcopal Church,
and even the Monarchy itfelf ; till with the moft
confummate Hypocrify, under the Colour of
Loyalty, they raifed Armies, fought with, and
vanquifh'd their King ; and at laft with the moft
confummate WickedBcfs, under the Colour of
Juftice, the Few, who called themfelves the Par-
liament, by the Influence of their own Armies,
which were then their Mafters, did That to his
Perfon, which calls for our Prayers in the Service
of this Day, that this Land may be freed from
the Vengeance of his righteous Blood.

And let no one think, that all this was the ne-
ceffary Refult of Self-defence. Diftinguifli but
the Times, and you will find, that their Adions
are to be diftinguifhed accordingly : For every
Grievance, of every kind, either real or fuppofed,
had been redrcffed long before thofe impious Arms

had

j5 ^Sermon preached hefoj^e the

had been taken up; fo fully redrefled, that
both Houfes of Parliament had under a Senfe of
Gratitude, tho' a fhort-liv'd one, declar'd, that
they had JuffLciently provided for the Security of
theCo?7imonwealth. Not to forget, that, befides
this, the King had confented to depart from the
undoubted Rights of his Crown in fo many and
fuch Inftances, that his People had their Security-
placed in their own Hands, and were trufted
with more Power than (as the Event fhew'd)
they knew how to make a good \^^^ of. For
the Arts of defigning Men foon found out a
way to rekindle Sufpicions and ftir up Jealoufies,
about the Intentions of the King and his Minif-
try. Hence many began daily to make larger
Draughts upon their Duty, to fupport the fac-
tious Meafures in which they were engag'd : and
fuch as forefaw, that their Crimes were too great,
if forgiven, to be ever forgotten, feem to have
been defperately determined, (fome of them very
early), that the only Pledge for their Safety fliould
be the Ruin of their Sovereign ; not without a
fecret Hope, that what State of Things fhould
fucceed to Monarchy, would prove a fine Paf-
ture for the full Range and Feed of their wild
Ambition.

In every other View than this, it may feem
ftrange, that a violent Death, fo outrageous in
the Manner of it, fhould be the fad Portion of a
King, who had fome Publick Virtues, which

one

Houfe of Lords^ Jan. 30, 1748-9. 17

one might naturally have expected, would have
made both Himfelf, and his People happy ; who
was poffefs'd of fo many private Virtues, (with-
out any one Vice to fully them) that the addi-
tion of a Crown was almofi: a fuperfluous thing
to his Character: it feem'd perfed without it.
And if thefe did not fhine out fo bright and
confpicuous in the former Part of his Reign,
(for Profperity gives to but few of thofe Virtues
their full Luftre), yet the latter Part of it, that
in which he ftruggled with Labours, Misfor-
tunes, Infults, and Trials, greater perhaps than
ever fell to the Lot of any King, afforded the
clearefl: Proof, that he had a fenfc of Honour
and Dignity, a firmnefs of Mind, and Inte-
grity of Confcience never to be fhaken or de-
prefled,.

But let us call off our Thoughts from this dis-
agreeable View of what was the Sin and the Shame
of thofe former Days; and let us confider, how
We may all learn to be more wife and more in-
nocent, than our Forefathers then were; how We
may profit by avoiding every Step, which infenfi-
bly led them on to that Mifery and Confufion,
under which this Nation for about twentv Years
languifiied.

Let fuch, as are invefted with fupreme Power,
be ever mindful, that no Height or Greatnefs is
fufficiently fecur'd, unlefs it be eftablifh'd upon
the general Love and Good-will of their People.

C If

iS -^Sermon preached hefon the

If they would have Glory, it mud be founded
on Merit followed with publick Efteem ; Glory
being only the World's Seal fet to acknowledg'd
Worth.

Let fuch too, as ferve the Crown in the great
Offices of State, and affift it by their Counfels,
learn from the Experience of pafl times, howufe-
ful it is, that all the publick Meafures, which are
taken, fliould be made appear to be both jufi
and ?tecejjary\ and with the greater care to make
them appear 7teceJ[ary^ the more eafily Sufpicions
may be raifed to the difadvantage of the yujlice
of them. Let them be ftudious to fhew, that the
general Good and their Mafter's Honour are their
firft Concern,and that all other private Confidera-
tions are but inferior ones : and thus (bad as the
World is) they will probably beft provide for the In-
terefts of themfelves, and of thofe whom they ferve.
Whenever any Difficulties arife (and fuch the
wifeft and beft muft expect to find), let them meet
them, not as fome in that Reign did, who truft-
ed to the loofe texture of temporary Expedients,
but meet thofe Difficulties and encounter them at
firft with Law and Reafon, with Prudence and
Courage on their Side. But, above all, let them
labour to gather up and tye together the Affedlions
of the People to their Sovereign, that he may
reign in their Hearts, and be as much fecur'd in
his Throne by their Wills, as by the Laws. For
this purpofe let them be fure to frame or counte-
nance

Houfe of Lordsy Jan. 30, 1748-g. 19

nance the framing of fuch Laws, as are truly Po-
pular; Popular, becaufe extenfively ufeful: Efpe-
cially, whenever the Reafons of State may make
it neceffary to impofe fuch things as may feem
Grievances, thea is the time for thus wifely quali-
fying and tempering them, by giving the People
fuch Bleffings as they can feely to foften thofe
things, which they m^Ly fancy to be Hardfhips.

To the Subjedls in general no lefs ufeful Matter
of Inftrudlion arifes from the fad Story of this Day.
Let them learn from thence, how clofely connedl-
ed their Safety and Happinefs are with thofe of
their Sovereign: the Golden Chain of them is
faften'd to the Throne, and is fure never to be more
in danger, than when Violence is done to That. Let
them from a Review of the infinite Mifchiefs,
which falfe Suggeftions and lying Rumours then
occafion'd, learn not only not to be wicked in fram-
ing, but to be backward in admitting and believing
Reports to the Difadvantage of their Sovereign^.
and his Adminiftration. A Lye in its progrefs is,
like a Rabble, always gathering and increafing.
One Man tells a thing as a Sufpicion of his own,
and the next, when he has heard it, publifhes that
Sufpicion as what is probable : a third taking the
Story into his bountiful Hands, fpeaks of that as
certairiy which when heighten'd came to him only
as probable : till at laft, to make the Srory a ftaple
and marketable one, it is often fent forth from the.
Prefs, and with this Pafs the Vagrant, tho' a Cheat,

travels

^Q ^Sermon preached before the

travels over the whole Kingdom with Security to
itfelf, but Mifchief to all others.

Let them in the next Place frequently and fe-
rioufly refled upon the Bleflings of a regular and
eftabliflied Government, and not be blind to the
happy Advantages which they daily receive from
it. For this goodpurpofe, let them confider
not only what they ^want^ but what they have.
The ftanding Bleffings of fuch a happy Govern-
ment, as we at prefent hve under, are too eafily
overlooked, not becaufe they are fmall, but be-
caufe they are common. In this refpedl it fares
with many Men, as it does with fome in private
Life, who enjoying all the main Comforts of it.
Health, Riches, Efteem, and perhaps Power too,
can yet make themfelves miferable, becaufe they
cannot obtain fome little Good, which they have
fet their Minds upon; and fo, forgetting what
they are^ they eftimate their Condition by what
they are not. Whereas in all fettled govern-
ments almoft the Evils are few and fmall in com-
parifon of the Bleffings, which are manifold and
important: and it is no fair way of ftating any
Account, to charge all on one Side only, and leave
out the Articles, in which we are Debtors.

Let tliem learn thankfully to acknowledge the
juftice and the Gentlenefs of His prefent Majef-
ty's Adminiftration : that Juftice, of which all
Men may gather the Fruits ; that Gentlenefs, of
which the Offenders againPc his Juftice do fo often

feel

Houfe of Lords, Jan. 30, 1748-9- ^^

feel the Benefits : a King, who makes it his Endea-
vour (and it is his Glory) to fubdue Ill-will by Cle-
mency, and fhew even to the Difioyal,^ that he is
anObjed worthy of their Loyalty: juft fuch a
King, as they wifh for, when they would obtain
Pardon; tho' not fuch an one, as they wifh for,
when they would pay Allegiance.

And let none of all his Subjeds contend, that
the Obfervation of this Day ought to be abolifh'd ;
that a full round of One Hundred Years has now
pafs'd fmce the blackeft of thofe black Crimes was
committed, and that therefore the Guile of them
all may be reckon d by a fair Conclufion to be
remitted to this Nation. For, while wey^^, while
we feel the fad Efieds ftill fubfifting of thofe
dreadful Caufes, my Tongue can never pro-
nounce, that this Nation has paid as yet the full
Debt to Divine Juftice; fo as that our annual
Prayers on this Occafion are to be thought unne-
ceffary and fuperfluous. There is ftill in being,
abroad, one Family of profefs'd Claimants to his
Majefty's Crown; a Family bred up in the full
Belief of that Religion, the Sufpicion of but
favouring which brought fuch irreparable Mif-
chiefsto^he Caufe of the Royal Martyr. To that
Rebellion it was owing, that his Sons were forc'd
to feek their Shelter in foreign Countries, from
whence one of them at leaft return d^ in Com-
munion with the Church o{Ro?ne\ a Gift, which
he took care to convey to Him, who has fo often

22

^Sermon preached before the^ 8cc.

interrupted our Happinefs, and fo much fwell'd
the Articles of our national Expences. Too late
an Inftance is frefli in all our Minds, while the
Wounds, which were then given, are fcarcely
healed. With me therefore it is all clear Confe-
quence, that we have ftill reafon for the Remem-
brance of this Day, for the devout Prayers which
it appoints, and the ufeful Inftrudlion which it
direds againft D if obedience and wilful Rebellion 3
when fuch a Family fubfifts with Power, as well
as Will, to moleft us ; which can only happen,
while any, who fhould be faithful Subjeds, hold
their Allegiance in readinefs for a Free-will- Offer-
ing to thofe, whom our Laws, the Reafon of
Things, Common Senfe, and (we truft) the divine
Will has for ever excluded from the Imperial
Throne of thefe Kingdom.s.

FINIS.

f %[fc*^.- <yv^< '- " v-**